New Haven Earns Top 10 Ranking Among Best College Towns (in Mid-Sized Cities)

A new analysis of the Best College Towns in America ranked New Haven as #20 among cities of all sizes, and in the top 10, at number 9, among the nation’s mid-sized cities. 

Storrs ranked #38 overall, Hartford was #200, Bridgeport was #302 and Stamford ranked at #314 on the list of 415 cities and towns hosting higher education institutions across the nation. 

The top ten mid-sized city “college towns” according to the survey analysis: 1. Tempe, AZ;  2. Reno, NV;  3. Gainesville, FL;  4. Scottsdale, AZ;  5. Tallahassee, FL;  6. Salt Lake City, UT;  7. Madison, WI;  8. Charleston, SC;  9. New Haven, CT;  10. Boise, ID. 

Storrs was #11 among small-size cities. Stamford was ranked #112 among mid-size cities.  The rankings were developed by the financial services website WalletHub.

“Picking the right college is crucial, but it’s also important to make sure that the surrounding college town will be a place where you’ll truly love spending your college years,” observed Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.  “Towns with a low cost of living, plenty of activities and large student populations can make your college experience a lot less stressful and a lot more enjoyable. In addition, cities with a great economic environment can make it easier to get a job during or immediately after college.”

WalletHub examined 415 cities of varying sizes across three key dimensions: 1) Wallet Friendliness, 2) Social Environment and 3) Academic & Economic Opportunities, and used 31 various metrics to determine the rankings.  Large Cities: were those with more than 300,000 people; Midsize Cities were 125,000 to 300,000 people; and Small Cities were those with less than 125,000 people.

Data used to create the ranking were collected as of September 23, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Center for Education Statistics, Numbeo, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, TransUnion, TripAdvisor, AreaVibes, Yelp and WalletHub research.